CHAPTER 86

Xiaoyuan watched an old movie, slept for a while, and when she woke up and opened her eyes, the whole room was silent. Dark clouds covered the sun, and a few scattered rays of light flickered within the room.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sadness welled up within her.

She sat crouched for a moment, feeling slightly better, but realized she couldn't just sit there doing nothing. She notified the housekeeper and headed to the rock climbing gym downstairs in the residential complex.

The sports facilities in the luxury residential area had private spaces, accessible by card for timed sessions.

Xiaoyuan had been there a few times before and wasn't a complete beginner. The coach watched her climb a round and then left. Wearing protective gear and secured by a safety rope, she climbed up and down several times, breaking a sweat, and felt much better.

Sitting down to drink water, she glanced at her phone.

Her brother had replied to her WeChat message, saying he was dealing with some personal matters recently and not to worry. He mentioned that his health was good and even sent her a photo of his latest medical report, including a full-body PET-CT scan. He told her the doctor said his condition was stable, with no signs of cancer metastasis.

[Brother, please remember not to drink or smoke.] Xiaoyuan sent back.

[I only had a little drink at the meeting with Ms. Ruan last time, less than a glass. It was an important day for you, and I haven't had any since then..]

[After you finish this busy period, remember to get a full-body check-up too.]

Xiaoyuan's eyes welled up. [I will.] she replied. Putting down her phone, she couldn't suppress the wave of sadness and let herself cry for a while.

She had seen a psychologist for many years and had experience dealing with such negative emotions. She had been taking her medication these past few days, but she also understood that emotions couldn't always be controlled. It was important to let them out when needed, and sometimes tears had to flow.

After crying for a short while, she wiped her face and checked the time—it was past five. She scrolled to Wei Zhuang's chat window on WeChat, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to message.

Still feeling uneasy about Xiang Zhishi, she called Cai Juan, but she sensed he might be busy, so she left a message, hoping he would see it and contact her.

She climbed the wall a couple more times, did some sit-ups, and full-body stretches to relax. By the time she was drenched in sweat, it was already past seven, and she decided to head back.

Wei Zhuang had set up a special password for her. She took the private elevator to the 34th floor, entered the foyer's walk-in closet, put down her sweat towel, changed her shoes, and took off her sweaty workout jacket.

Suddenly, she noticed Wei Zhuang's jacket hanging on another rack.

'Was she back?'

Taking off her jacket, Xiaoyuan was left wearing only a black cropped sports tank top. She walked further inside and, as expected, found Wei Zhuang sitting on the sofa reading a book.

"You're back?"

Wei Zhuang glanced up slightly. "Mhm."

"Have you been back long?"

"...Just got back."

The sports tank top accentuated Xiaoyuan's fair and slender collarbone. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few strands of sweat-damp hair clinging to her neck, and her shorts framed her slender legs.

Xiaoyuan didn't have many obvious signs of intense workouts, but her body was toned and graceful, with perfect proportions and not an ounce of excess fat.

After exercising, she had a particularly vibrant beauty about her.

Unaware of this, she thought the smell after working out wasn't pleasant and said apologetically, "I'll go take a shower first."

She hurried into her room.

After washing her hair and taking a shower, Xiaoyuan picked out a loose, light gray dress that reached her thighs and put it on.

Only after wearing it did she realize the V-neck was bigger than she had imagined. She hesitated for a second but decided not to change. She dried her hair and stepped out.

Having eaten late for lunch and consumed an energy drink after her workout, she wasn't particularly hungry. As she emerged, she peeked into the living room and then headed to the kitchen to wash and cut some fruit, arranging it on a plate.

"Do you want some fruit?" Xiaoyuan asked aloud.

Hearing no response, she popped a strawberry into her mouth and then saw Wei Zhuang walk into the dining area.

Xiaoyuan swallowed the fruit. "Want some?"

Wei Zhuang shook her head, poured herself a glass of water, and sipped it slowly.

Xiaoyuan poured chocolate sauce and dipped the strawberries, sitting by the kitchen island to eat. Wei Zhuang leaned against the other side.

While eating, Xiaoyuan glanced at her. Wei Zhuang had her eyes down, lost in thought.

Was she just here to drink water? Or was she keeping her company?

Xiaoyuan guessed that Wei Zhuang had probably never lived with anyone before, nor had she been in a long-term relationship. What about Wei Jiabao...?

These thoughts stopped abruptly. She was now quite averse to these speculations, finding them dangerous, or perhaps she simply didn't have the energy to deal with them right now...

Xiaoyuan zoned out, a bit of chocolate sauce lingering at the corner of her lips.

Wei Zhuang glanced up at her.

After Xiaoyuan finished the plate of fruit, Wei Zhuang, noticing she hadn't realized, finally spoke up. "Your lips."

Xiaoyuan looked up, saw Wei Zhuang looking at her, and her slender fingers pointed to her own lips.

Xiaoyuan froze, staring at her blankly.

Wei Zhuang's gaze deepened as she reached for a tissue and handed it to her.

Xiaoyuan snapped out of it, took the tissue, and wiped her lips, her face slowly turning red.

"Did I get it?" Xiaoyuan asked softly.

"Mm," Wei Zhuang replied, giving her a lingering look before setting her glass down.

Xiaoyuan cleared her throat, trying to cover her embarrassment. "I just remembered I have a call to make." She turned and hurried to her room, her face still flushed.

The atmosphere had been so subtle, and the thoughts that had flashed through her mind were too shameful. Thankfully, she wasn't lying—she really did have a call to make.

Her phone showed a missed call from Cai Juan, who had left a message. Xiaoyuan called him back.

"Yuan'er, you called?"

"Yeah," Xiaoyuan, regaining her composure, said, "Brother Cai Juan, I was wondering if you could go to Pengcheng to check on my brother, and stay with him for a while."

"Huh? So sudden?" Cai Juan grew serious. "Did something happen?"

Xiaoyuan didn't hide it from him.

Cai Juan was silent for a while before saying, "If it's about Zhishi's personal matters, I don't have the right to interfere."

Xiaoyuan had always known about Cai Juan's feelings for her brother, and hearing this made her heart ache.

Cai Juan sighed. "Besides, if I just show up out of the blue, he'll definitely guess the reason. Him being mad at me is one thing, but I'm afraid I won't be able to find out anything."

They needed a reason—one that her brother wouldn't suspect.

"Brother Cai Juan, just tell him you're going to see my mom for me." Xiaoyuan's throat tightened, and the sadness spread to her throat, making it ache. "Say I'm worried about her but still can't bring myself to face her... and that I also want to know how she's doing, so I sent you to check on her for me..."

She spoke with great difficulty, repeating some words. Cai Juan hurriedly said, "Okay, I understand, I get it. I'll find an opportunity to go see Brother Zhishi."

Xiaoyuan wiped her eyes, took a moment to compose herself, and then said softly, "I'll transfer you some money. See what she needs... buy it for her, and then, take some photos for me to see."

Cai Juan had a rough idea of their family situation, though some details were still unclear. She knew it was already incredibly difficult for Xiaoyuan to do this.

Xiaoyuan had matured a lot, learning to care for and worry about her brother, and even trying to ease the tension between herself and her mother.

Cai Juan felt both relieved and heartbroken.

"Don't worry, I'll ask Sister Ruan Qing for a long leave before I go. I hope she'll agree."

Xiaoyuan sniffled, lifting her head to hold back her tears. "...I'll talk to her myself."

"No need, Sister Ruan is a nice person. She hasn't even called to check up on us. By the way," Cai Juan added, "you might have work the day after tomorrow. Once the company finalizes the arrangements, Tiantian will notify you. Just make sure you don't turn off your phone."

Xiaoyuan nodded and softly murmured, "Mm."

"There's no one else around, so let me ask you something," Cai Juan lowered her voice. "That person... ahem, is she treating you well?

Xiaoyuan lowered her head, resting her feet on the sofa, slightly swaying her legs,"...She's treating me well."

"Good, that puts my mind at ease." Cai Juan replied, telling her to wait for her news before hanging up.

A mix of indescribable emotions weighed heavily on her heart. She rubbed her face, sat for a while, and then went to pour herself some water to take her medication.

As she took the pills, she remembered the doctor's warning about the possible side effects: nausea, headaches, vomiting, and even a decrease in lib!do...

The doctor had been so detailed, and she remembered it all too clearly...

Xiaoyuan took the medicine and glanced at the sleeping pills, thinking, 'I didn't take them last night, maybe I won't take them tonight either.' After all, all medicine has its side effects, and she really didn't want to take too many pills. Besides, these pills didn't guarantee she'd fall asleep—otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to Wei Zhuang last night.

Last night, it was Wei Zhuang who had coaxed her to sleep.

'Coaxed?'

What had she done to deserve having the big boss coax her to sleep?

She pressed her lips together, suppressing the smile that threatened to surface. The heavy sadness brought on by the mention of her mother had lightened considerably.

If she wanted to sleep tonight, would she need Wei Zhuang to accompany her again...?

Those memories, like monsters lurking at the bottom of a deep well, began to crawl out of the darkness.

Xiaoyuan set the sleeping pills aside and walked to Wei Zhuang's room, pausing at the door. Summoning her courage, she tentatively pushed the door—it wasn't locked.

She stepped inside.

Wei Zhuang's bedroom was enormous, dominated by black and white tones with a touch of gold. The curtains covered the double-sided floor-to-ceiling windows, and the light strips reflected off the leather and wood ceiling, casting a soft, warm glow throughout the room. It felt serene and comforting. A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air.

She scanned the room but didn't see Wei Zhuang. She walked further in, entering the walk-in closet.

Her feet stepped on the unique lizard-patterned leather floor of the closet, and she stopped.

The light strips in the closet were brighter. A woman stood facing away from her, a black silk robe draped over her pale shoulders. Her jet-black hair was swept to one side, and the glass doors of the cabinets faintly reflected her tall, curvaceous figure.

Xiaoyuan approached in a daze, her steps slow and hesitant.

Wei Zhuang seemed to sense something and was about to turn around when a soft, fragrant body embraced her from behind.

Wei Zhuang's brows twitched slightly. She had just finished bathing, her hair still slightly damp, and her usually pale complexion now carried a faint blush.

Xiaoyuan's heart raced wildly as she wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, her face flushing pink. "Can you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

Wei Zhuang's profile was sharp and cold. "Let go first." she said.

Only then did Xiaoyuan realize what she had said and done. She quickly released Wei Zhuang and took a step back.

Wei Zhuang turned her back to her, fastening her belt before finally turning around to face her.

The moment their eyes met, Xiaoyuan immediately blushed and lowered her head guiltily, stammering, "I'm afraid I'll have nightmares again..."

"When you're here... I won't be scared." she looked at her own shoes, saying each word clearly.

Wei Zhuang didn't respond immediately.

Xiaoyuan's shoes seemed to have a mind of their own, taking the step back that she had retreated. Her gaze drifted upward, landing on Wei Zhuang's hands.

Her wrists were clearly defined, her fingers were slender and white, incredibly beautiful.

Without thinking, Xiaoyuan reached out, slipping her fingers between Wei Zhuang's thumb and index finger, gently hooking them.

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